• Madonna’s ‘Rebel Heart’ tour got underway in Montreal this week, delivering incredible costumery, phenomenal outfits and songs from both the ‘Rebel Heart’ album and her back catalogue. The Montreal tracklist included classics ‘Burning Up’, ‘True Blue’, ‘Deeper And Deeper’, along with ‘Material Girl’ and ‘Holiday’. The ‘Rebel Heart’ tour is due to touch down in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane early next year.
• Australia loves Ellen. And Australia also loves P!nk. Put the two together and there’s no way that it’s not going to be popular here. P!nk’s just recorded the theme song, ‘Today’s The Day’, for Season 13 of Ellen’s hit daytime chat show and, despite not being an official single, it’s quickly found its audience down under, rocketing into the top ten on iTunes. Check out the singer’s performance of the track as part of Ellen’s premiere week in New York HERE.
• British soul/pop star Sam Smith has confirmed that Brisbane indie-pop starlet Emma Louise will play the all-important support role on his forthcoming Australian tour dates. The tour, which kicks off in Perth in late November, now includes two sold out dates at Sydney’s Qantas Credit Union Arena. Tickets for the remaining shows are selling fast. Sam RECENTLY ANNOUNCED that he’s set to sing the theme song to the forthcoming James Bond film ‘Spectre’.
• US soul singer Raury will release his debut album ‘All We Need’ (cover art above) in Australia in the middle of next month. Raury will return to Sydney later this month to play the Luna Park Big Top as part of the Optus Rock Corps event, while the LP, which comprises 14 tracks, including lead single ‘Friends’, will drop on Friday October 16.
• Crowded House are lending their support to the growing humanitarian crisis brought about by the mass exodus from Syria, teaming up with Save The Children for a special limited vinyl and digital download release of ‘Help Is Coming’, lifted from their album ‘Afterglow’. To be released on September 28, the 7″ vinyl edition will include an exclusive previously unreleased b-side entitled ‘Anthem’. An incredibly moving VIDEO, featuring popular actor Benedict Cumberbatch, has been released to further show the plight of the people – the children in particular – who have been forced to flee. It’s tough viewing. All Apple’s, Universal Music’s, the artists and the producer’s proceeds from the sale of the single will be donated to charity. Neil Finn and Capitol Records will donate their royalties and proceeds to Save The Children. Do yourself a favour and buy it HERE.
• Jeff Lynne’s ELO has inked a new deal with Columbia Records (Sony here in Australia) that will see the legendary band release their first album of all-new ELO music in more than a decade. Further information about the new LP is expected in the months ahead.
• Boy & Bear will hit the road early next year on their ‘Limit Of Love’ album tour. Proceedings kick off at the Odeon Theatre in Hobart on January 22, with shows at Melbourne’s Festival Hall, Adelaide’s Thebarton Theatre, the Red Hill Auditorium in Perth, Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion and the Riverstage in Brisbane to follow. Fan club tickets go on sale from 11am on Wednesday, with general public tickets to follow from 11am on Friday September 18.
• Fetty Wap has been kicking goals with his tunes of late, especially in his native US, where ‘Trap Queen’ has been a big top ten hit. He’s confirmed the release of his self-titled debut album in Australia on Friday September 25.
• US synth-pop outfit Future Islands have confirmed headline shows in both Brisbane and Adelaide during their visit to Australia in November. They’re here to support Mumford & Sons at their shows in Sydney and Melbourne, but they’ll also now play at Adelaide’s Governor Hindmarsh on November 13 and Brisbane’s The Triffid on November 16. Tickets are on sale this Wednesday.
• Justin Bieber claimed his very first number one single in the UK last week with ‘What Do You Mean?’, but it’s already gone, prised out of the position by Sigala and ‘Easy Love’, which leaps from No.71 to No.1. Galantis’ ‘Peanut Butter Jelly’ is the only other song moving into the top ten this week, up from No.15 to No.8.
• Iron Maiden slams the No.1 position on this week’s UK albums chart with ‘The Book Of Souls’. The Weeknd’s ‘Beauty Behind The Madness’ is down from No.1 to No.3, leapfrogging the Jess Glynne album. Our own Troye Sivan get a little chart love with the ‘Wild’ EP, which is new at No.5, followed by a debut for Five Finger Death Punch’s ‘Got Your Six’ at – wouldn’t you know it – No.6. A-Ha’s ‘Cast In Steel’ wraps the top ten debuts at No.8.
• He nabbed the No.1 spot on the UK singles chart, he nabbed the No.1 spot on the Australian singles chart. And now Canadian star Justin Bieber has nabbed top spot on the US singles chart with his latest single ‘What Do You Mean?’. As with Australia and the UK (and countless other countries around the world), it’s his first ever No.1 Stateside. The Weeknd won’t mind being knocked down to No.2 too much, however, particularly given he’s also got the No.3 spot in the bag; ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ at No.2 and ‘The Hills’ at No.3. The Bieber halo effect also sees a rise in his Skrillex/Diplo collaboration, which improves from No.13 to No.10. Demi Lovato also surges.
• Another sign that The Weeknd won’t be too disappointed by losing the No.1 position on the US singles chart is that his new album ‘Beauty Behind The Madness’ has premiered in the No.1 spot on the Billboard albums chart. Halsey also scores some chart love, with ‘Badlands’ premiering at No.2. Maddie & Tae’s ‘Start Here’ is new at No.7, Beach House’s ‘Depression Cherry’ is new at No.8 and Ben Rector’s ‘Brand New’ is, well, brand new at No.9. Disturbed’s album ‘Immortalized’ tumbles from No.1 to No.10.
• That’s it for your Saturday edition of The Purge. But you love the charts… We love the charts… That’s why we spend over an hour of our Saturdays putting together our weekly Chart Watch. You’ll find out all you need to know about what’s happening on the ARIA charts tonight from 6pm AEST.
TICKETS PLEASE
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14 : Josh Groban (Sydney)
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14 : Simply Red (Nationally)
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 16 : Future Islands (Brisbane, Adelaide)
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 16 : Walk The Moon (Nationally)
FIRDAY SEPTEMBER 18 : Boy & Bear (Nationally)
Australia's first stop for pop!